AC6763 - Fundamentals of research methods

The module offers a flexible, blended-learning approach to learning, and you will participate in both face-to-face seminars and lectures. You will learn through research-rich sessions that will focus on ‘real-world’ research delivered by field experts. You will engage in enquiry-based flipped-classroom, learning by directly working with contemporary research in your field. Your academic tutor will facilitate reflection on your development through self and group directed study.
The assessment will bring together the knowledge and skills learned in order to justify the use of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research approaches in real-world research.

You will be supported through scheduled face to face teaching sessions and regular feedback from your tutor and peers, within the seminar and discussion format of specific teaching sessions and in tutorials. Peer review and formative feedback will be utilised throughout the delivery and during formative assessment. In addition, a discussion board for your module will be established on Northumbria University’s eLearning platform ‘Blackboard Ultra’ (BBU), BBU also allows remote access to materials and aids for module students to access (populated, managed and kept up to date by your module tutor). You will be supported throughout the programme by your personal tutor.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Define Quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method approaches
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the use of specific research methods appropriate for methodologies in real-world research studies.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Demonstrate skills necessary to recognise and justify the use of research methods and approaches.
4. Demonstrate the ability to apply appropriate research methods to real-world research scenarios.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. Critically reflect on your own role at each phase of the research processes, issues and contexts in your field.

Formative Assessment:
An oral presentation to peers and module staff lasting for 10 minutes.
You will present a research question and your considerations of how you would theoretically conduct research to answer the question. It is anticipated that this will inform and shape the student’s summative submission offering feedback through reflection and constructive feedback.

Summative Assessment:
You will select a research question from your area of interest, either original or from contemporary literature, with a qualitative, quantitative or mixed-method research approach and discuss how you would theoretically conduct the research. You will articulate the complexities and practicalities of the research process. You may wish to discuss areas such as literature review, recruitment, sampling, data collection methods, data analysis, ethical process, validity and reliability and/or data management. This will take the form of a detailed research protocol of 2500 words submitted via Turnitin. (MLO 1-5)

Summative tutor feedback will be provided with the final assignment mark.

Fundamentals of research methodology

N/A

This module will develop your knowledge to recognise and justify the use and application of multiple research methods. The module offers a flexible, blended-learning approach, and you will participate in both face-to-face seminars and lectures/seminars through an e-learning package.
Being research-rich, you will engage with, and learn from, research experts at the forefront of academia and practice. Tutor and peer feedback will be given throughout the sessions, and through our e-learning portal (Blackboard Ultra).

The module covers:

• Quantitative approaches, and research methods and application
• Qualitative methodologies, and research methods and application
• Mixed-method approaches and research methods and application

By the end of this module, you will have developed the necessary skills to allow you to recognise and justify the use of different research approaches, methodologies, and designs.